After a year smothered by serious injuries to some of the biggest names in the game, the Yankees are poised for the only thing that matters: the postseason.

As they await to see if it is the Rangers or Orioles in the other best-of-five ALDS dugout Sunday, the Yankees aren’t 100 percent healthy. Yet, they are in better shape than they have been in a long time.

“This is really the first step,’’ Russell Martin said of copping the AL East title.”We hope to go all the way.’’

Yet, there was legitimate concern the injuries would sink the Yankees. Now, the Yankees, who are listed at 5-1 to win the World Series, admit what they couldn’t when stars were falling.

Brian Cashman pointed to losing CC Sabathia (twice) and Andy Pettitte as hurdles and admitted being concerned when Mariano Rivera’s knee blew out in early May in Kansas City. Nick Swisher and David Robertson said Rivera’s injury made them wary.

Sabathia said it was Alex Rodriguez’s fractured left wrist and Eric Chavez said it was Pettitte’s fractured left ankle and Rodriguez’s wrist. Martin went with Mark Teixeira’s left calf injury.

Of course, none of the problems sunk the Yankees. And the Yankees weren’t the only team to get hurt this season. What do you think the Rays would have done if they had Evan Longoria for a full year? How about the Orioles losing Nick Markakis ?

But as the Yankees gather today for a Yankee Stadium workout and find out what the 25-man ALDS roster will look like, they aren’t missing anybody but Rivera.

“Obviously, the multiple injuries to the rotation are killers,’’ Cashman said of Sabathia going on the DL twice with groin and elbow trouble and Pettitte missing almost three months. “But when Mariano went down you worried about the emotional toll it would take on the team. That was a concern for me, but Mariano stood up in K.C. in a team meeting and told his teammates they could do it without him.’’

David Robertson, who was anointed Rivera’s successor only to follow Rivera to the DL shortly after, pointed to Rivera’s injury.

“He hadn’t been on the DL for nine years,’’ Robertson said. “Losing a guy like that gets you worried.’’

Fortunately for the Yankees, Rafael Soriano was more than a capable replacement for Rivera, converting 42 for 46 save chances.

Sabathia saying the 36 games Rodriguez missed was the most damaging injury wasn’t a shock. Despite a late-season power slide, Rodriguez remains a threat in the middle of the order and provides protection. Yet, Sabathia touched on an area not often associated with Rodriguez.

“Because of how much he means to this team when he is around us, what he does off the field and in the clubhouse,’’ Sabathia said.

When the Yankees went 5-7 in the first dozen games Rodriguez missed, Eric Chavez pointed to not having Rodriguez and he hasn’t changed his mind.

“He stretches the lineup. When he went down it got dicey for us,’’ said Chavez, who filled in for Rodriguez and did very well.

For Martin, watching Teixeira miss 30 of 31 games when the Yankees were attempting to hold the Orioles off and avoid the dangerous one-game wild-card deal, was the toughest.

“Having Tex out of the lineup showed how valuable he is,’’ Martin said. “He is a middle of the order switch-hitter you can’t make a mistake to. He is a headache for the other team.’’